# govql-mcp-server An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for [GovQL](https://govql.us) — gives AI clients like Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor direct access to the US Congressional GraphQL API at [api.govql.us/graphql](https://api.govql.us/graphql) without bespoke HTTP wiring. For the design rationale (why FastMCP-Python, the passthrough+curated philosophy, roadmap through v0.4), see [design.md](https://github.com/govql/govql/blob/main/mcp-server/docs/design.md). ## What you can do with it Ask an agent questions like: - *"How did Vermont's two senators vote on the most recent nomination?"* - *"Which legislators in the 118th Congress switched parties during their service?"* - *"Compare Senator Sanders' voting record to Senator Murkowski's on cloture votes in the most recent Congress."* The agent picks the right tool, writes the GraphQL query against the live schema, and parses the response — no manual API wrangling. ## Install The server runs as a per-client subprocess over stdio. Pick your client: ### Claude Desktop Edit `claude_desktop_config.json` (Settings → Developer → Edit Config): ```json { "mcpServers": { "govql": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["govql-mcp-server"] } } } ``` Restart Claude Desktop. The `govql` tools appear in the tools panel. ### Claude Code Add to `.mcp.json` in your project (or `~/.mcp.json` for global): ```json { "mcpServers": { "govql": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["govql-mcp-server"] } } } ``` ### Cursor Settings → MCP → Add Server. Use the same `command` / `args` as above. ### Other clients Any MCP-compatible client that supports stdio servers will work. The command is `uvx govql-mcp-server` with no required arguments. ## Tools | Tool | Purpose | |---|---| | `execute_graphql` | Run any GraphQL query against the GovQL endpoint. Returns the result plus an `last_ingest` timestamp so the agent can reason about data freshness. | | `list_types` | Returns the names and kinds of every type in the GovQL schema. Optional `kind` filter (`"OBJECT"`, `"INPUT_OBJECT"`, `"ENUM"`, etc.) to narrow further. Start here when you don't know what's queryable. | | `describe_type` | Returns one type's full details — fields, arg signatures, input fields, enum values. Call after `list_types` to learn the shape of a specific type before writing a query. | ## Configuration All env vars are optional — the package is zero-config for end users. | Env var | Default | Purpose | |---|---|---| | `GOVQL_ENDPOINT` | `https://api.govql.us/graphql` | Endpoint to query. Override to point at a local dev stack. | | `GOVQL_TIMEOUT_MS` | `30000` | Per-request HTTP timeout. | | `LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | Logging level. Logs go to stderr only (stdout is reserved for the MCP transport). | ## Limits (enforced by the upstream API) - Max query depth: 10 - Max query complexity: ~10 billion points (`first: N` multiplies child cost by N — keep page sizes reasonable on deeply nested queries) - Rate limit: 100 requests / 60 s per source IP A depth or complexity violation surfaces as a GraphQL `errors` entry in the tool response so the agent can adjust and retry. ## Data freshness Every `execute_graphql` response includes a `last_ingest` ISO timestamp. Vote data refreshes hourly; legislator data refreshes daily. ## Status Version 0.1.0 ships three foundational tools: a GraphQL passthrough (`execute_graphql`) and two narrow schema-discovery tools (`list_types`, `describe_type`). Curated higher-level tools (`find_legislator`, `get_voting_record`, `compare_voters`, etc.) are planned for subsequent releases — see [design.md](https://github.com/govql/govql/blob/main/mcp-server/docs/design.md) for the roadmap. ## Links - [GovQL project site](https://govql.us) - [GraphQL API](https://api.govql.us/graphql) - [Source / issues](https://github.com/govql/govql)